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Following Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens’ acquisition of a majority stake in Aston Villa, The Mirror, among other papers is reporting that the new decision-makers are eyeing France and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry as a potential replacement for Steve Bruce.
Although Co-Chairman Dr Tony Xia was vocal in his backing of current boss Steve Bruce, he no longer has the final say. Sawiris and Edens’ investment bought them a 55% majority stake at the club which means they are now calling the shots. According to reports, Henry, 40, is highly regarded by the new owners and his time earning his stripes at Arsenal and Belgium have landed him on a shortlist for the hot seat at Villa Park.
France’s 1998 World Cup winner recently quit his job as a pundit on Sky Spots to pursue his chosen career in football as a head coach.
1/3 Over the last 4 years I have had some extremely rewarding coaching experiences in football. These experiences have only made me more determined to fulfil my long term ambition to become a football manager. pic.twitter.com/NOQZzuif4m
— Thierry Henry (@ThierryHenry) July 16, 2018
Henry’s decision comes just days after finishing up a successful stint as a member of Roberto Martinez’s staff in Belgium’s World Cup camp. The Red Devils earned a podium finish to cap off the most successful World Cup run in their history.
It remains to be seen whether Sawiris and Edens, who will be looking to steer the club in a new direction after Villa’s financial troubles of late, will mark the start of their term with a major footballing decision. However, it is not unheard of for owners of sports franchises to want ‘their guy’ at the helm.
Whatever becomes of this, I don’t think you can complain too much as a Villa supporter for having a legend of the game linked to the club. Even if it is likely that nothing materializes.